Researchers discovered vultures feeding on eggs from a Burmese python nest in the Everglades, marking the first documented case of native birds targeting python eggs in Florida. The nest, linked to a tagged female, contained at least 17 eggs with puncture marks; three fragments were found outside. While the vulture species could not be confirmed, the finding suggests native scavengers may occasionally disrupt python reproduction and highlights a potential vulnerability for managing this invasive species.
Vultures Found Feeding on Burmese Python Eggs — First Recorded Case in Florida
Photo Credit: W. James Whelpley
Researchers in the Florida Everglades have documented vultures eating eggs from a Burmese python nest — the first recorded instance of native birds preying on this invasive species' eggs in the state.
What the Researchers Found
In May 2023, a University of Florida research team located a python nest in Broward County's Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area, part of the greater Everglades ecosystem. The nest was linked to a tagged female Burmese python. When the team returned about a week later, they observed at least four vultures feeding at the site.
Investigators documented at least 17 eggs with puncture marks consistent with vulture feeding. Three eggs were recovered as shell fragments outside the nest; the remaining eggs had been punctured and their contents were exposed or missing. Thick grass concealed the nest, which led researchers to conclude the birds likely found it by smell. The tagged female python was later found in shallow water roughly 40 feet from the nest, and the team reported no signs that other predators had visited the site.
Why This Matters
Burmese pythons, native to Southeast Asia, are among the most damaging invasive species in South Florida. They became established after escapes and intentional releases tied to the pet trade. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service figures, cited in reporting by CBS News Miami, indicate more than 180,000 Burmese pythons entered the United States through the live pet trade between 1975 and 2018.
Adult pythons face relatively few predators in South Florida; wildlife officials identify American alligators, eastern indigo snakes, and Florida black bears as occasional threats, while juveniles may fall prey to birds, bobcats and other predators. The new observation — documented in a February study published in the peer‑reviewed journal Reptiles & Amphibians and first reported by the Miami Herald — suggests that native scavengers or predators may sometimes disrupt python reproduction.
“To the best of our knowledge, this observation is the first recorded instance of a native avian species preying on a Burmese python nest in Florida,” the researchers wrote.
Even occasional nest disruption could reveal vulnerabilities in the python life cycle that managers and conservationists might leverage to slow the species' spread. Because a healthier Everglades supports water quality, flood protection, recreation and tourism across South Florida, any factor that helps curb this invasive apex predator could have broader benefits for local communities.
Further Notes
Observers could not confirm the vulture species before the birds flew off; both black vultures and turkey vultures are common in South Florida. The authors of the study caution that this single observation does not indicate a major new control method but does provide an encouraging clue about natural pressures on python reproduction.
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